Found your dream job after weeks of searching? About to prepare an administrative assistant cover letter? You will manage all the paperwork, handle correspondence and phone calls, greet visitors with a smile on your face
However, to get that opportunity, you will need to succeed in administrative assistant cover letter writing and send your potential employer a letter that he has never received. Don’t stress! We have prepared a comprehensive cover letter writing guide for you. All you need to do is to follow our tips - and you will land your dream job offer.
Writing Pros Can Be Yours
In case you are puzzled by cover letter writing or do not consider yourself a good writer, then we are ready to step in and do a fantastic cover letter for you. Even if you cannot boast of big working experience, our writers with recruiting experience will find something to introduce your candidacy from the best angle.
What to Include in Your Cover Letter?
Your cover letter should be targeted to the position you are applying for. Therefore, before you start writing, we recommend that you make a list of qualifications, requirements, and preferences stated in the employment job posting. You will clearly understand the profile the employer is looking for and can come up with examples from your past work experience and achievements to highlight the skills that match their focus.
The more closely you match your experience to the target profile the employer seeks, the higher your chances for being invited for an interview and landing a job offer. That’s why it is a good idea to cover the following information in your administrative assistant cover letter:
- Em class="list-normal"phasize your interest in this position - your cover letter should explain why you want to work for this business. Learn a little more about the company and show the recruiting manager that you care and are interested in what they do.
- Provide evidence of your specific business skills and expertise - study required job specs and relate all your skills/ qualifications specifically to this job.
- Share your professional achievements - your potential employer would like to know professional accomplishments you can boast to date, so make sure you briefly mention them in your cover letter.
- Briefly talk about your goals - you should always demonstrate how ambitious you are. If you have professional objectives, it means that you are always ready to learn something new and never stop to grow professionally.
- Highlight your soft skills - the position of an administrative assistant has more on a plate than just admin tasks. That’s why it is important that you could demonstrate that you are the full package covering solid admin skills with strong interpersonal and soft skills.
Remember that you will never have the second chance to make the first impression. That’s why you need to approach cover letter writing with special care and attention. Of course, you shouldn’t end up writing a long introductory email, click here to know the recommended length of a cover letter.
Cover Letter Writing Tips
Although different job postings come with different skill sets, professional backgrounds, and qualifications required from an employee, there are still some basic tips that will help you write a winning cover letter to impress an employer with the first sentence:
- Start with a greeting - a cover letter should have a more conversational tone than a resume. But this is still business correspondence, so keep it professional. Avoid the generic, "To Whom It May Concern," and address each hiring manager personally. If you don't know his or her name, it's worth a phone call to the office to find out. And don't make assumptions about the hiring manager's gender. If you aren't sure, use the full name, rather than Mr., Miss, Mrs. or Ms.
- Follow a personalized approach - if you can find the name of the hiring manager to contact, use it. “Dear Mr. Smith” or “Dear Riley Jones” is a much more personal greeting than just “Dear Hiring Manager.” A personalized greeting demonstrates that you have made the extra effort to find out who you are writing to.
- Check key skills an employer is looking for - adjust your professional achievements and qualifications to the requirements an employer has for position candidates.
- Make a list of administrative assistant duties - this list will help you develop a persuasive cover letter and address every point of the position description.
- Highlight your professional strengths - be sure to emphasize your strengths as they relate to job requirements.
- Now, it's time to highlight your skills and work experience. The goal is to touch on what you have to offer the organization without getting too long winded or simply rehashing what's in your resume. Rather than just writing a list of your job duties, highlight areas where you've made a measurable impact in your organization.
- Use keywords and terms in your writing - include the right keywords in your cover letter so that an employer could easily see that you are not new to this business.
A customized cover letter will help you pique an interest in a hiring manager and demonstrate that you have done research before applying to the position. Some companies use software to filter out candidates who don't match for particular terms. That’s why we strongly recommend that you carefully study the employment job posting and address all the keywords/ skills from it in your writing style, no matter if you write a high school, employment, internship cover letter.
Administrative Assistant Job Seeking Tips
Decided to pursue an administrative assistant job? Then you need to stand out from the crowd of applicants. The following tips will help you rise to the top:
- Keep an eye on jobs in developing industries - hunt for a job by searching for vacancies in an industry where administrative assistants are in high demand (e.g. manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, real estate, and technology). Then narrow your search by location, company size, and core responsibilities.
- Polish your LinkedIn profile - your LinkedIn profile and summary is the first go-to platform for employers. So make sure that you stand out positively and have an all-star profile.
- Demonstrate your firm grasp on the latest technology - employers give preference to applicants who know more than how to turn on a laptop and send an email. It is a good idea to list all software programs that you have used and indicate your level of expertise with each one.
- Be ready to talk about salary rates - Although it was taboo in the past, employers are now more open to discuss salary before running the hiring process. A hiring manager may bring up salary in the first or second interview, so you should be prepared to talk numbers early on.
Just like everything in life, experience in job seeking comes with practice. However, if you follow the above-mentioned tips, you will greatly increase your chances of having a job offer in your mailbox.
Summary
Since a cover letter is always the first thing that a hiring manager sees, you need to make sure that this piece of writing introduces you well. Even if you have a strong resume, you risk having it unread simply because your cover letter is weak or doesn’t match position specs. For this not to happen, stick to your administrative assistant cover letter guide every time you send a job application. Succeed in your career!
Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Example
Jane Doe
(Address / Street)
(State, City)
(Postal Code)
(Date)
Judith Dae
Human Resources Consultant
City of ...
4th Floor, Metro Hall
(Address / Street)
(City, Postal Code)
Dear Judith Dae:
Attached is my resume in response to the internal posting, Job ID #12345 for an Administrative Assistant to Director. This position would provide an exciting opportunity for me to use my administrative, computer and accounting skills.
Highly skilled in handling a wide range of administrative activities in a demanding environment, I have typed financial reports and statements, composed and typed correspondence, prepared agendas, minutes and reports and produced charts and graphs for presentations. In addition, I have assisted in the preparation of the annual budget, monitored income and expense accounts and entered data into spreadsheets and databases. As well, I have the ability to accurately organize and handle detailed information, as illustrated through the initiative I took to create an effective office services manual.
I have an Office Administration diploma from (Name) College and over twelve years progressive experience in administrative / clerical positions. I am dedicated and hardworking and I am recognized for producing high quality work on a timely basis. I have demonstrated excellent interpersonal and customer service skills through many interactions with members of the public.
I would be pleased to have the opportunity to further discuss how I could contribute to the success of the Corporate Finance Division. You can reach me on a confidential basis at 111-111-1111.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Jane DoeCareer Summary
Over twelve years of experience in administrative and clerical positions in various organizations. Well-developed organizational, finance and administration skills. Highly accomplished in the use of word processing, spreadsheet and database software applications. Typing speed of 75 w.p.m. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite. Excellent time management skills that allow me to consistently meet deadlines.
Work Experience
(Year) - Present, Support Assistant, Revenue Services Department, City of ...
- Provide administrative support to senior management staff within the unit, including coordinating and arranging meetings, events and schedules, drafting and preparing correspondence for signatures and operating office equipment and computers utilizing a variety of software packages (e.g. SAP, Word, Excel, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint)
- Spearheaded the design of a unique office services manual for the service delivery area, to create clear and consistent use of accounting systems, set standard timeframes and increase overall efficiency within the division
- Provide work direction, orientation and training to three Support Assistant Cs
- Compose and type complex divisional correspondence and Committee reports in a timely manner, to provide senior management and Council with accurate and valuable information regarding the department
- Draft monthly financial reports, ensuring they are accurate, clear, error-free, legible and professionally formatted
- Coordinate and attend monthly committee meetings, record minutes and prepare reports for Senior Management, resulting in consistent flow of communication
(Year-year), Support Assistant, Purchasing Department, City of ...
- Established a new inventory control spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel, resulting in better data management and efficiency within the unit
- Received and paid out cash/cheques and TTC tickets, controlled, monitored and balanced petty cash, tickets, reconciled and processed financial payments; assisted with budget administration for unit
- Monitored office supply inventory, tracked spending on each order and kept an accurate account for each user group, using SAP and other databases as needed
- Maintained and organized unit filing system for a large amount of both electronic and hard copy files and documents
(Year-year), Finance Clerk, Nainsmith Industries, (City, State)
- Assisted company accountant in the preparation of the annual budget of $500,000
- Monitored income and expense general ledger accounts, prepared a list of differences and investigated reasons for discrepancies, which resulted in an annual cost savings for the company of $9,000.
- Prepared bank reconciliations and investigated discrepancies for the company’s five bank accounts resulting in accurate allocation of funds
(Year-year), Data Entry Clerk, Sensus Communication Solutions, (City, State)
- Responsible for all day-to-day direct fulfilment related activities, including: validated order details, entered order details gathered from the tools into customer relationship management (CRM) system, verified accounts
- Catalogued over 5,000 accounts payable invoices into accounting database on a monthly basis and managed detailed account filing system to ensure records were accurate and easily accessible for auditing purposes
- Provided support to sales representatives, operations manager, invoicing and accounts receivable, including responding to inquiries (e.g. order status, product availability)
- Ensured that customer satisfaction was maintained and exceeded throughout all stages of the fulfilment process for both internal and external customers
(Year-year), Clerk-Receptionist, Mayer’s Motors, (City, State)
- Handled over 40 customer inquiries daily, responding in a professional and courteous manner
- Extracted information from corporate customer database and utilized mail merge feature of Microsoft Word to produce 2,000 individually addressed letters and envelopes
- Developed charts and graphs using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to a create a presentation for the company president, resulting in positive feedback from president and customers
Education
- Financial Accounting I and II, (College, City)
- Office Administration - Executive Diploma, (College, City)
Additional Training and Development
- MS Outlook, (Month Year)
- Dealing with the Public, (Month Year)
- Microsoft Office Suite, (Month Year)
Volunteer Experience
- Secretary for Neighbourhood Watch Program, (Year) - present
- Fundraising Coordinator, Heart and Stroke Foundation Campaign, (Year-year)
Example 2
Arizona State University
Employment Services
PO Box 875612
Tempe, AZ 85287-5612
Dear Ms. Jones:
It is with great interest that I submit my resume in application for the position of Administrative Associate in the Graduate College (SR#02056). The positions I have held in the past six years at ASU have given me many opportunities to develop the skills you require including: strong interpersonal skills; a high degree of public contact, problem solving, decision making, supervision; and the ability to work independently. I believe this gives me the needed skills to exceed in the Administrative Associate position in your department. Highlights of my skills include:
Personal Skills: The office of the University Libraries/Library Services is the focus point for a large range of complaints from a widely diverse campus community. Daily I apply conflict management skills to handle different situations ranging from irate patrons and security issues to dealing with the faculty and university administrators, who may need immediate but sometimes unavailable answers.
Supervision: During the reorganization of the University Libraries’ Administration office, I was assigned the coordination and supervision of the front office staff and functions. The staff consisted of one full time classified staff and three student workers.
Working Independently: In association with the $+1million remodel of Hayden Library, I successfully coordinated: the space, furnishings, and equipment inventory; the relocation of 12 departments; and the redistribution, sales, and disposal of furnishings and equipment. I received only general directions from my supervisor while working directly with library department heads, personnel from Planning and Construction, Facilities Management, and off-campus movers.
Problem Solving/Decision Making: Since the program’s inception two and a half years ago, I have been the program coordinator for the University Libraries Volunteer Program. This includes chairing the initial committee that developed the program. I manage intake, monitor rewards and recognition, and coordinate program promotion. To date this program has generated 1,000-1,500 volunteer hours a year for the library.
Computer/software experience: I am proficient in WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows and Microsoft Word and have worked on projects using Excel. I am also proficient in the use of: meeting scheduling, message distribution and other Office Vision functions; the Internet as a means of communication with individuals outside ASU; and downloading documents from floppy disks to Office Vision and vice versa. Being technically oriented makes me a quick learner of different software packages. In my present job, I am often called upon to help others help solve PC problems and answer software questions.
I look forward to meeting with you to further discuss how my qualifications meet the needs of this position. Please contact me at 965-5555 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Sally Smith